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Wisconsin Farm Bureau says farmers get some wins, some losses in 25-26 legislative session

A farm group lobbyist says Wisconsin’s producers had some victories and some major defeats in the just-completed state legislative session.

Tim Fiocchi with Wisconsin Farm Bureau tells Brownfield the biggest wins were the new laws related to PFAS contamination, “To provide both farmers and landowners who accepted some material that may have been contaminated, unbeknownst to them, to make sure that those innocent landowners are not held liable either by the government or by private attorneys.”

The new laws also release $133 million to assist communities dealing with water contamination.

Fiocchi says the biggest disappointment was Governor Tony Evers vetoing a fire sprinkler exemption for fertilizer warehouses. “In the veto message, the Governor mentions that there is a variance process right now. We don’t feel that we should have to do a variance to get out of doing something that we should never do, which is install sprinkler systems in these types of warehouses.”

Supporters of Assembly Bill 956 say applying water to a fertilizer and chemical warehouse fire creates an environmental hazard by potentially contaminating surface and groundwater.

Farm Bureau says some good bills for agriculture that passed include new guidelines allowing 96-thousand-pound trucks on six axles for grain, feed, and fertilizer trucks, modifying guidelines for manure-based fertilizer labelling and distribution, allowing soybean-based firefighting foam for forest service use, and creation of a veterinary loan repayment program for rural large animal veterinarians.

Other Wisconsin bills that were vetoed by the Governor include a proposed freeze on animal health inspection fees, and a labeling bill for lab-grown protein.  Legislation creating a producer tax credit for manufacturing sustainable aviation fuel in Wisconsin failed to pass the Assembly and Senate before the session ended.

Fiocchi says Wisconsin Farm Bureau will try again in January with a new Governor and new legislators to bring important ag issues back for consideration, along with another attempt to change existing law so that Farm Bureau health care coverage can be offered in Wisconsin.

AUDIO: Tim Fiocchi with Wisconsin Farm Bureau discusses the legislative wins and losses for Wisconsin farmers with Brownfield’s Larry Lee